AP US History Units 1-3

AP USH units 1-3

Jay's Treaty (1794)

Settled disputes with Britain, avoided war, led to British evacuation of forts in the Northwest Territory.

The National Bank (1791)

Created by Alexander Hamilton to stabilize the U.S. economy, sparked debates over implied powers and federal authority.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Established a process for admitting new states from the Northwest Territory, prohibited slavery in the region.

Republican Motherhood (Post-1770s)

Encouraged women to raise virtuous citizens, connecting their roles to the republic's survival post-Revolution.

Separation of Powers (1787)

Government division into executive, legislative, judicial branches to prevent dominance by a single branch.

Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787)

Massachusetts farmers' uprising against taxes and debt, revealing weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

The French Revolution (1789-1799)

Caused U.S. political division, with Federalists fearing radicalism and Democratic-Republicans supporting it.

The Great Compromise (1787)

Resolved large vs. small state disputes, creating a bicameral legislature with proportional and equal representation.

Whiskey Rebellion (1791-1794)

Western farmers protested whiskey tax, prompting Washington to use federal troops to assert national authority.

1st Amendment's 5 Freedoms (1791)

Ensures freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and petition, foundational to individual liberties.

3/5ths Compromise (1787)

Counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths for representation and taxation, reinforcing slavery.

Anti-Federalists (1787-1788)

Opposed the Constitution, fearing centralized power and lack of individual rights, leading to the Bill of Rights.

Bill of Rights (1791)

First 10 amendments to the Constitution, safeguarding individual liberties and addressing Anti-Federalist concerns.

Constitutional Convention (1787)

Drafted the U.S. Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation and establishing a stronger central government.

Democratic Republican Party (1790s)

Led by Jefferson and Madison, opposed Federalist policies, stressed states' rights and an agrarian America.

Electoral College (1787)

System for electing the president, balancing popular sovereignty with state interests.

Federalism (1787)

Power division between national and state governments, central to debates on federal authority scope.

Federalist Papers (1787-1788)

Essays by Hamilton, Madison, Jay advocating Constitution ratification.

Federalists (Political Group, 1790s)

Led by Hamilton, backed strong national government, industrial economy, aligned with Britain.

George Washington's Farewell Address (1796)

Warned against permanent foreign alliances, political parties, promoted national unity.

Lexington & Concord (1775)

First American Revolution battles, signifying start of conflict between colonists and British troops.

Marquis de Lafayette (1777-1781)

French military officer aiding American Revolution, bolstering French support for the cause.

Patriots & Loyalists (1770s-1780s)

Patriots backed independence, Loyalists supported Britain, causing colonial division.

Stamp Act (1765)

Tax on paper goods, inciting protests and the slogan 'no taxation without representation.'

Sugar Act (1764)

Tax on sugar and molasses, aimed at raising colonial revenue and contributing to unrest.

Tea Act (1773)

Granted British East India Company tea monopoly, leading to Boston Tea Party and tensions.

Thomas Paine - Common Sense (1776)

Pamphlet advocating independence, influential in swaying public opinion toward revolution.

Townshend Acts (1767)

Taxes on imports like glass, tea, sparking colonial boycotts and tensions with Britain.

Treaty of Paris (1783)

Ended American Revolutionary War, acknowledged U.S. independence, set national borders.

Adam Smith - Wealth of Nations (1776)

Advocated free-market economies, impacting American economic policies and government debates.

Articles of Confederation (Adoption, 1781)

Initial U.S. governing document, establishing a weak central government, later replaced by the Constitution.

Boston Massacre (1770)

British soldiers killed five colonists, used as anti-British propaganda in the colonies.

Continental Army (1775)

Formed to fight Britain in the Revolution, led by George Washington.

Continental Congress (1774-1781)

Governing body during the Revolution, declared independence and led the war effort.

Declaration of Independence (1776)

Jefferson's document declaring colonies' independence, based on Enlightenment principles.

The Enlightenment (1700s)

Emphasized reason, individualism, influenced revolutionary ideas in America.

George Washington (General, 1775-1783)

Led Continental Army to victory in Revolution, later became first U.S. president.

Intolerable Acts (1774)

British laws punishing Boston for Tea Party, uniting colonies against Britain, leading to First Continental Congress.

Middle Passage (16th-19th Century)

Forced transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans to Americas, crucial to Atlantic slave trade and colonial economy.

Triangular Trade (16th-19th Century)

Trade system linking Europe, Africa, Americas, exchanging slaves, raw materials, goods, fueling colonial economies.

Pequot's War (1636-1638)

Conflict between New England settlers and Pequot tribe, nearly wiping out the Pequot people, illustrating violent colonial expansion.

King Philip's War (1675-1676)

A conflict between New England colonists and Native American tribes led by Metacom (King Philip), one of the bloodiest wars in U.S. history, devastating Native resistance in New England.

Pueblo Revolt (1680)

A successful revolt by Pueblo Indians against Spanish colonization in present-day New Mexico, temporarily driving Spanish settlers from the region.

Bacon's Rebellion (1676)

A rebellion by Virginia settlers led by Nathaniel Bacon against Governor Berkeley's administration, highlighting tensions between frontier settlers and colonial authorities.

William Penn (1681)

The Quaker founder of Pennsylvania, promoting religious tolerance and peaceful relations with Native Americans.

Quakers (17th Century)

A religious group that settled in Pennsylvania, advocating pacifism, equality, and religious tolerance, influencing the colony's governance and culture.

Mercantilism (16th-18th Century)

An economic policy where colonies existed for the benefit of the mother country, structuring the colonial economy to supply raw materials to Europe.

Frances Drake (1577-1580)

An English sea captain and privateer, known for circumnavigating the globe and raiding Spanish ships, boosting English wealth and challenging Spanish dominance.

Joint-stock company (1600s)

A business structure allowing investors to pool capital for colonization ventures, crucial to the establishment of early colonies like Jamestown.

Virginia Company (1606)

A joint-stock company that established the first permanent English colony in America, Jamestown, in 1607.

John Rolfe (1612)

Introduced tobacco cultivation in Virginia, a profitable export vital to the colony's survival.

House of Burgesses (1619)

The first representative assembly in colonial America, established in Virginia, marking the beginning of self-government in the colonies.

Great Migration (1630-1640)

A period during which thousands of Puritans migrated to New England, seeking religious freedom and escaping persecution in England.

Mayflower Compact (1620)

An early framework of self-government agreed upon by the Pilgrims before settling at Plymouth, reflecting the principle of majority rule.

John Winthrop (1630)

Leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who envisioned the colony as a 'city upon a hill,' symbolizing a model Christian society.

Congregationalists (17th Century)

A Puritan religious group that established communities in New England based on self-governing congregations, heavily influencing colonial society.

Anne Hutchinson (1637)

A religious dissenter in Massachusetts Bay Colony who challenged Puritan orthodoxy, leading to her banishment and highlighting issues of religious tolerance.

Jamestown (1607)

The first permanent English settlement in North America, marking the beginning of English colonization efforts.

Indentured Servitude (17th Century)

A labor system where individuals worked for a period in exchange for passage to the colonies, contributing to the labor supply in early settlements.

Navigation Acts (1651, 1660, 1663)

A series of English laws restricting colonial trade to England only, enforcing mercantilist policies and limiting colonial economic independence.

James Oglethorpe (1733)

The founder of Georgia, established as a buffer colony against Spanish Florida and as a haven for debtors.

Ben Franklin (1706-1790)

A leading Enlightenment thinker, diplomat, and inventor who played a key role in the American Revolution and the drafting of the Constitution.

Jonathan Edwards (1730s-1740s)

A key figure in the First Great Awakening, known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons, emphasizing the need for personal religious experience.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741)

A famous sermon by Jonathan Edwards during the Great Awakening, stressing the horrors of hell and the necessity of conversion.

George Whitefield (1739-1740s)

An English preacher whose emotional preaching during the First Great Awakening stirred large audiences, promoting the spread of evangelical Christianity.

New Lights (1740s)

Supporters of the emotional revivalist style of preaching during the Great Awakening, advocating for individual piety and spiritual enthusiasm.

Old Lights (1740s)

Traditionalist clergy who rejected the emotionalism of the Great Awakening, favoring a more rational and intellectual approach to religion.

Proclamation of 1763

Issued by Britain after the French and Indian War, it restricted colonial settlement west of the Appalachian Mountains to ease tensions with Native Americans.

Pontiac's War (1763-1766)

A Native American uprising against British forts and settlers in the Great Lakes region, leading to the Proclamation of 1763 as a peace measure.

Columbian Exchange (1492 onward)

The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and cultures between the Americas and the Old World following Columbus's voyages, altering global ecosystems and societies.

Bartolomé de las Casas (16th Century)

A Spanish priest who advocated for the rights of Native Americans and condemned Spanish cruelty in the New World, influencing debates over indigenous treatment.

Valladolid Debate (1550-1551)

A moral and theological debate in Spain over the treatment of Native Americans, where Bartolomé de las Casas argued for their humane treatment against proponents of conquest and enslavement.

Spanish Caste System (16th-18th Century)

A social hierarchy in Spanish colonies ranking individuals based on their racial heritage, with Spaniards at the top and Native Americans and Africans at the bottom.

Peninsulares (16th-18th Century)

Spaniards born in Spain who held the highest social and political positions in the Spanish colonies.

Mestizos (16th-18th Century)

People of mixed European and Native American descent in the Spanish colonies, often ranked in the middle of the Spanish caste system.

Iroquois Confederation (17th-18th Century)

A powerful alliance of Native American tribes in the northeastern U.S., playing a significant role in colonial diplomacy and wars.

Three Sister Farming (Pre-Colonial Era)

An indigenous agricultural practice where corn, beans, and squash were grown together, providing a sustainable and nutritious food source.

Cahokia (c. 1050-1350)

A large pre-Columbian Native American city near present-day St. Louis, significant for its complex society and large earthen mounds.

Maize (Pre-Colonial Era)

Corn, a staple crop in Native American agriculture, supporting large populations and influencing the development of early American civilizations.

Alien and Sedition Acts 1798

Allowed the fed gov to deport foreign nationals, or those who seemed to pose a national security threat. It also allowed the gov to prosecute anyone who wrote bad things about the government